A Brighter Tomorrow: My Journey with Julie

I tell them to go ahead. I should really be getting home. Julie looks disappointed, but she understands. Ivy says it was nice to meet us. She leaves us to say our goodbyes while she goes to ask her parents if she and Julie can explore together.

Julie leans forward and hugs me. She says she’s glad we met today, and she thanks me for standing up to Stinger on the basketball court. I tell her that all I did was say the truth. Julie will get a chance to show him when she makes it on the basketball team. I’ll be rooting for her.

As I head to the door and wave goodbye, Ivy returns to Julie’s side. They wave back and disappear into the forest of tropical flowers.

Seeing Julie and Ivy together makes me homesick for Chloe and our Super Saturday Sillyfest. When I slip off this ring, home won’t be Ohio. It’ll be our new apartment in San Francisco, without Chloe and Dad. Still, I can’t stay in the 1970s forever.

Outside, I find a bench in the shade and tug at the ring, but my fingers are swollen and it won’t budge over my knuckle. I take a deep breath and try not to panic.

Suddenly, an image of Mom at the kitchen sink with soap and water flashes in my brain. That’s how she gets the ring off before she does the dishes.

I go back inside and head for the restroom near the entrance. Pushing through the door, I find myself face-to-face with the Water Fountain Girls at the bathroom mirrors. They fall silent, giving me sideways glances. Not knowing what else to do, I start washing my hands, rubbing a big blob of soap onto my ring finger, but I keep the ring on until the girls leave.

The girls keep talking about Julie. The first girl says it’s like she doesn’t want any friends, unless the only friends she wants are boys. The second girl asks why Julie would want to play basketball with sweaty boys anyway, since she’s not even good enough for their team.

I pretend to pick dirt from under my nails so it isn’t obvious I’m eavesdropping. The third girl speaks up. She doesn’t know why Julie wants to play on the boys’ team. It’s weird, but she admits Julie can really play.

I turn off the sink and dry my hands with a paper towel, leaving the blob of soap by the ring. I’m grateful someone is sticking up for Julie, but the second girl rolls her eyes and says Julie isn’t special enough for the school to change the rules for her. I can’t stand listening to them bad-mouth Julie anymore, so I turn to face them.

I tell them that Julie is special. She can see there’s something wrong with “the rules,” and she wants to speak up about it. She has the guts to fight for what’s right.

The first girl asks who I am, but before I can answer, the second girl sneers and says that I don’t go to their school. I mean look at my outfit. The girls look at my outfit and raise their eyebrows in agreement.

Suddenly I don’t know what to say. It’s easier to stand up for Julie than to defend myself. I look down at my skinny jeans and ballet flats next to the girls’ white bell-bottoms and chunky platform shoes. Julie didn’t seem to think my clothes were weird, though. I try to come up with a clever reply, but I have a rock in the pit of my stomach.

It’s like the first day of school, when I hoped to blend into the crowd until someone stuck that “WALKING FREAK SHOW” sign on my back. It was so humiliating, and now it feels like I’m wearing that sign all over again.

Just then, the door to the bathroom opens. It’s Julie and Ivy. When she sees the four of us together, Julie asks what’s going on. I try to sound tough, but my voice comes out shaky. I tell Julie that they were saying mean things about her so…

One of the girls cuts me off and tells me that I stuck my nose in other people’s business. The second girl scoffs. Where did Julie find me anyway? Mars? I’m wearing a weird outfit.

Ivy asks what’s weird about it. She thinks it looks cute. I look like a dancer.

Julie glares at the girls and says that she doesn’t judge people by what clothes they wear. She judges people by how well they treat other people. And that’s what really counts in a friend. Julie takes my hand and Ivy’s, and the three of us exit the bathroom together, leaving the Water Fountain Girls sputtering and speechless.

In the lobby, I thank Julie for rescuing me. She shakes her head and says that I showed her the way. When I confronted Stinger, I showed her she didn’t have to let bullies bulldoze her. She only did the same for me.

I nod and the three of us hug goodbye one last time. As I leave the conservatory and head down the path, I look for a private spot to take off my ring to return home. I think about what Julie said about standing up to bullies and what really counts in a friend, and I realize I don’t need to be afraid of my new school.

After all, only one mean kid put that sign on my back, not three. If I can stand up to a trio of mean girls, I can handle one bully. The other kids treated me fine, so they’re all potential friends. I just have to be myself and give them a chance.